Pump valve construction



Oct. 19, 1948. R. R. cuRT'ls' 2,451,925

PUMP VALVE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 26, 1943, Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 zrzvs'nlmr Russell R. Carl/a.

Oct. 19, 1948. R; R. CURTIS 2,451,925

' PUMP VALVE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 26,1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [n v Erzi Er" R'u-sacUR Curt/1i Patented Oct. 19, 1948 UNlT-EDffsTATES PATENT emi V pmP'vnslIfi fig mnos n n r r I I v Russell R. Curtis, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Pump Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation 7 of Ohio Application March 26, 1943, Serial No. 480,647

v 1! Claims. (Cl. 27745) an intermediat externalvalve face and an internal valve seat. I

The invention will hereinafter be specifically described as embodied in an airplane engine positive displacement fuelpump but'it should be'understood that the inventionis not limited to such usage, being generally applicable to. valve assemblies. I I

In airplane fuel systems'it is customary to supply fuel to the engine carburetor under-pressure from a series or tandem arrangement of pumps bores.

and to provide such pumps with by-pass means so that fuel can be received by the engine even when only one of the pumpsisIIoperating. It is also highly importantlin such systems that fuel fed to the carburetor be maintained at a constant spring which can beset to maintain the desired differential pressure at the discharge side of the pump 7 1 I 'I" I f I In order to balance the relief valve' against variations in inlet pressures and compensating variations in pump discharge pressure and base pressure (ambient air pressure or engineintake manifold pressure) a diaphragm is provided. This diaphragm is interposed between the spring acting on the relief valve,and the'valve so thatthe spring acts on thevalv'e through the diaphragm and the diaphragm will move with the relief valve. One side of the diaphragm'has an effective area exposed to base pressure balanced by an equal relief valve area exposed to pump dis 5() charge pressure. In addition, theiother side of the diaphragm is exposed to inlet 'pressureinthe pump and the area so exposed and tending to move the relief valve in one direction is balanced by an qual area on the relief valve assembly .2 tending to move the relief valve in the other direction. I I Thus a balanced relief valve assembly i provided and the selected spring pressure acting on said assembly will determine the pump discharge pressure differential above a base pressure such as, for example, the ambientair pressure or the engine intake manifold pressure. I According to thisinvention in pump casing, a valve casing, and a spring casing are assembled in superimposed position withra diaphragm between the spring and valve casing separating the chambers of said casings. l flhe valve casing has coaxial bores therein connected through an annular valve seat and communicating respectively with the inlet and outlet sides of the Dumpuon opposite sides of the valve seat; A relief valve is mounted in the bores of the valve casing and has external guide surfaces slidably engaging said This valve has an intermediate annular valve face adapted to seat on thevalve seat between the bores. I I

The relief valve is provided with an" internal shoulder intennediatethe ends thereof forming a seat for-a by-pass valve which is spring urged against this interior seat by a spring bottomed on a bottom wall of the casing at the end of the bores. Ports are provided in the relief valve joining the interior thereof with the inlet and outlet sides of the pump on opposite sides of the annular valve face thereof. I t I V 1 I The by-pass valve can becomposed of plastic or metal and has a synthetic rubber impregnated fabric cover adapted to ngage the internal seat of the relief valve. Thiscover can be held in place on the by-pas valve by means of a spring washer. Th fabric cover eliminates the necessity for lapping the engaging surfaces to form a tightseal when the valve isclosedp 5 1 I It is, then, an object of this invention to provide a one-piece relief valve construction adapted for pumps which has an external annular valve face and an internal valve seat. I- I I I Another object of the invention is to provide a plastic relief valve. and by-pass valve assembly adapted for pumps. I x I A further object of theinvention is to provide a pump valve construction embodying a valve housing having coaxial bores communicating through an annular valve seat ftogetherflwitha relief valve having external guide" surfaces" slidably engaging said bores andan intermediate valve face adaptedto seat on said annular seat together with an internal v alvefseat and a bypass valve spring urged" toward lsald seat.

ends thereof and a bypass valve cooperating with said. seat.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, by-pass and relief valve assembly for airplane" fuel pumps adapted to be composed of molded plastic material.

Other and further objects of the invention 4 respectively. The bosses are adapted to receive fuel lines therein.

The valv casing l2 has a cylindrical bore 24 extending inwardly from the top end thereof and continued by the inner ends of four webs 24a (Figure 3) to terminate in an annular valve seat 25. The four webs are used instead of continuing the bore 24 as a full cylindrical wall to the seat 25'for the purpose of decreasing weight and for producing an enlarged annular chamber around the relief valve beneath the upper guide wall will be apparent to those skilled in the art from I the following detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which, by way of a preferred exam le only,-illustrates one embodiment of the invention. V

' 'On'rthedrawings:

Figure 1 is a toplplan-view of an airplane fuel pum embodying a valve construction according to this invention. 7

Figure '2 isa vertical cross-sectional view, taken along the line II-II of "Figure 1. Figure '3 is a horizontal'cross sectional view, taken along the line III- III'of Figure 2. Figure =4'is a-horizontal cross-sectional view, taken' along the'line IV--'-IV of Figure 2.

:Fi'gurefi is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view-: taken along the line V--V -of Fig-ure 3. I I

=Figure 6 is an enlarged topplan view of the relief valve of thisinvention. Figure '7 isanenlarged side'elevational view ofthe'relief valve. v Figure 8 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along the line VIII--VIII of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the-relief valve. o 1

Figure 10 is a top plan view of a cup forseating' inzthe relief valve to transmit spring pressure to thevalve.

- *As'shown on the drawings: I

i In Figures l and 2 the referencenumeral -l-ll designates generally-a f-uel pumpincludin a pump casing H, a valve casing IZ, arid-a spring casing l3 all held together in superimposed relation by means of four belts or studs [4" extending respectively through --an outturned flange [3a at'theybase of the casing l3, apertures |2a of thecasing l2 (Figures 3 -"and' 4) into tapped holes not shown) of the pump casing l l.

:A "gasket-lids positioned betweent'he casings H and I2 anda flexible diaphragm l6 composed of synthetic rubber-impregnated fabric or synthetic rubber sheet materialis' disposed between thecasings Hand l3. The casing I'l has'an inlet chamber I! and an outlet chamber "on opposite sides of a cylinjdrical sleeve l9 which is press-fitted intqthe c'as- 'ing; 'Thissleeve ledefines-with itsinner surface No, a pump bore for a rotaryvane pump. The sleeve 19 has ports l9bq'in the sides thereofv joining'the bore l9a'with thechambers l1 and I8.

"A rotor 20 is eccentrically mounted'in' the sleeve l9 andfhas pumping vanes 21 slidable therethrougn andengaging the .pump borel9a. "The 'rotorand' vanes will pump fluid from the inlet chamber "to theoutlet chamber l8.

"Internally threaded hollow bosses 22 and 23 projectlate'rallyfrom the chambers I'IandIB of this valve as will more fully hereinafter be described.

A reduced diameter bore 26 coaxial with the bore 24 extends downwardly from the valve seat 25 to terminate in a further reduced diameter coaxial bore 21 which is bottomed by an apertured bottom wall 28 seated on the gasket l5. The bottom wall 28 has a recess 28a around the mouth of the aperture therein providing a shoulder.

The'casing l2has a vertical passageway 29 therein on each side of one Web 24a communicating through a port 30 with the interior of the bore 24 to join this bore with .thecinlet chamber l1 ofithe pump. The casing l2 also has a passageway-3| communicatingv througha port 32 with theinterior of the bore 26 and joining this bore with the discharge chamber I8 of the pump.

The bore 24 is counterbored atthe upper end thereof to receive an annular metal washer 33 which :partially overlies the bore 24. The washer 33- receives the diaphragm' l6 thereover and .determines the effective area of the diaphragm exposed to pump inlet pressures.

-The'casing I3 .is in the form of an inverted cup with an internally tapped hollow boss 13b in-the side wall thereof adapted to vent thespring chamber 34 defined by the casing l3 above the diaphragm l6 either to the ambient air or to the airplane engine intake'manifold (not shown).

The diaphragm l6 separates the spring chamber334 from the bore.

The top'wall of the casing l3.has a central aperture35 therethrough receiving, in rotatable relation therein, a-post member with a-threadedshank portion 36a depending into the chamber-34,.anoutturned collar portion 36b bottoming a apacking. :3'l and a threaded portion 360 projecting freely. through the aperture 35 and extending-above thecasing. l3 to receive a nut 381 thereon. The nut-38 can be tightened to com,- .pressthe packing'3l-between.the collar 38b and the'top Wall of the casing.- The threaded shank portion 36a of the post 3 receives, in threaded relation therearound, a spring retainer 39 having a notch in the periphery thereof receiving arvertical key 40 provided in .the casing l3. I

,Theend ofthe post has a-screwdriver slot ,thereintofacilitate rotation of the postfor moving the retainer 39 along the threaded shank portion .39a'thereof. The key '40, by ein seated ina'notch onthe periphery of this retainer. 39, will prevent rotation of the retainer so that the retainer will be moved up anddown in the casing upon reverse rotation of the post. Thero- .tationof the post can be prevented; by tightening thenut. 38 so as to clamp the collar 36b againstthepa'ckingfl.

. A coiledspring- 4| is provided :in the casing l3 between the retainer 39 and a bottom retainer 42. This bottom retainer has a central round ed,.protuberance 4'2a seated in a rounded depresslon 43a of a' washer 43 which overlies the 55 central'portio'n ofthe'diaphragm I6; The depression 43a of the'washer also formsa :rounded protuberance on the bottom face of thewasher which depresses the central portion. of .the diaphragm to preventside movement. of thespring assembly on the diaphragm.v 1 p 1 In accordance with this invention .a-one-piece relief valve and by-pass valve seat member 50 is slidably mounted in the casing l2. As shown in Figures 6.to 9, this member so can be composed of diecast metal or molded plastic materialsuch as a solvent and temperature-resisting synthetic resin, .hardsyn-thetic rubber, or the like. The member 50 is in the form; of an open-ended stepped sleeve which can be moldedor cast using easily mounted opposed l plugs or cores. The molded or cast product need not be machine-finished except, possibly to remove flashing or burrs from working surfaces thereof. i

., The valve 50 has a circular outturned flange 50a around the upper end thereof slidably, engage ing the bore 24 of the casing l2 and a cylindrical wall 50b depending from the inner end of said flange to be disposed in spaced relation inwardly from the inner ends of the webs 24a and thus operate in spaced relation inwardly from the side walls of the enlarged chamber provided below the bore 24. The wall 50b terminates in an inwardly extendingbase 50c providing an annular valve face 50d therearound adaptedtoseat on the seat 25 at the bottom of the bore 24.

This wall 500 has a centralaperture therethrough with an annular bottom face 50c providing a by-pass valve seat.

Four legs 50] depend from the wall 500 intermediate the face 50e and the seat 50d provided thereby. These legs 50f have end portions with segmental cylindrical outer faces 50g slidably received in the bore 21 of the casing. The legs pref-. erably taper down to these end portions 50 and the tapered parts of the legs are. spaced inwardly from the bore 26 of the casing.

The side wall 50b has four elongated ports therearound so that actually the sidewall for a greater part of its depth is only composedof four upstanding leg portions, as shown in Figure 3. The ports 5| connect the enlarged annular chamber below the bore 24 of the casing I2 with the interior of the member 50.

The four legs 50 of the member 50 provide four elongated ports 52 therebetween. The ports 52 join the bore 21 of the casing [2 with the interior of the member 50 beneath the by-pass valve seat 50a.

The open top end of the member 50 has internal shoulders 50h (Figures 6 to 8) between the ports 5| for bottoming a cup 53 (Figure having a central depression 53a receiving the central por tion of the diaphragm is "depressed by the rounded protuberance of the washer 43 as shown in Figure 2. This depresion 53a prevents slippage of the washer 43 so that the spring always exerts its pressurethrough the rounded'bead 4-2a centrally on the diaphragm and centrally onthe relief valve member 50.

As best shown in Figure 5, a by-pass valve 55 in the form of a flat disk of'molded plastic material, metal or the like, is mounted in the lower portion of the relief valve 50 to close the by-pass aperture 56 in the wall 50c of the member. The by-pass valve 55 has a downwardly extending circular boss portion 55a receiving a light coil spring 51 therearound. The coil spring 51 is bottomed in the recess 28a on the shoulder thereby provided in the bottom casing wall 28.

' the upperend of the relief valve.

sThe by-passmember 55 also has an upstanding boss portion 55b projecting centrally through the aperture 56..The boss portion 55b has a transverse cotter pin receiving hole therethrough. The by-pass valve member 55 has a flat annular topface 55c around the boss portion 55b receiving thereon a synthetic rubber-impregnated fabric washer .58. The washer is held in position on the flat face 55c, by a dished metal spring washer 59 disposed around the boss 55b and held in stressed condition on top of the washer'58 by means of a cottenpinwfitl extended through the hole providediin the boss portion 55b.

:Theywasher 58, being somewhat resiliently yieldable, can have good sealing engagement with theseat 502 without the necessity of a lapping or grinding operation which would .be' necessary inthe event that two metal surfaces, two hard plastic material surfaces, or a hard plastic mate rial and a metal surface were seated directly against each other. p The. relief valve 50 can move in response to differential pressures on the discharge side of the pump Hibased on the pressure existing in the chamber 34= toward and away from its seat 25, for the distance between the top of the valve and the washer 33 as shown in Figure 2.. Thus the discharge pressure of the pump acts on the bottom face of the wall member 50c and on the bottom face of the by-pass valve 55 tending to forcethe relief valve face 50d off its seat 25. This action is resisted by the spring 4! which can be adjusted by the post 36 to exert a selected pressure through the diaphragm and cup 53 on When the relief valve is opened, fuel from the discharge side of the pump is relieved back to the inlet side of the pump through the passageway 3|, port 32, bore chamber 26,, enlarged chambers below the bore 24, port 30, and passageways 29.

- In the-event that the pump is not delivering the desired pressure, or'is not operating, fuel .in the inlet, chamber H of the pump can be bypassed around the pump through the by-pass valve aperture'55 forcing the by-pass valve off its seat; 50c. The fuel will thus flow from the chamber, I! through the passageways 29, port 30 into; the enlarged chamber below the bore 24, thencerthrough the ports 5| into the relief valve, then. through the aperture 56 past the by-pass valve 55 into-the lower portion of the relief valve, next through the ports 52 in this lower portion of the relief valve and into the bore 2-3, then through port 32 into the passageway 3! and thence to theoutlet chamber 18.

- .JFrom the above descriptions it will be evident thatthis invention now provides a pump assembly' having a one-piece relief member providing not only a relief valve'but also a seat for a byp'ass valve. A by-pass valve is seated in the relief member andis spring-urged by a light spring against'this seat of the relief member. Yieldable resilient means mounted on the by-pass valve" eliminate the necessity for lapping the seating surfaces into sealing contact. The relief member is guided by external cylindrical guides at the top and bottom thereof which are slidably received in cylindrical bores of a valve casing portion of the pump to prevent cooking of the relief member. The side walls of the relief member between the top and bottom guides operate in spaced relation from the side walls of surrounding chambers (chamber below bore 24 and bore 26) so that free fluid passage to the ports of the relief member is always permitted. The

memes relief 'ine'mber' and the by p'assvalv'e Gill -Ednveniently be molded from syntheticplastic ma terial or die-cast or die-forged from metal.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of constructionmay be varied through a 'wide range without departing from the;.principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not: the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otheriwise than necessitated by the scope ofthe appendedclaims. l W

I claim as my inventionr' l. A relief 'land'=by-pass valveas'sembly comprising an open-ended sleeve having an outtllrned 'annular guide flange around one end thereof a plurality of axially extending'legs'at the other end thereof having external guide facesgand an intermediate wall portion providingan external valve iacean'd an internal-valve seat, said sleeve having ports therethrough be tween the annularguide flange and the intermediate wall portion, said axially extending legs being disposed at spaced intervals around said sleeve and providing enlarged ports therebetween, a by-pass valve in said'sle'eve slidably guided by said legs and coacting with said internal seat portion of the intermediate wall to control flow through the'sleeve, said endofthe sleeve containing the guide flangehavinga r'ecess therein with a shoulder at the inner end thereof, an inverted cup having the side wall portion thereof seated in said recess and-bot tomed on said shoulder, said cup having an-end wall closing one end ofthe sleeve and provided with a central depression therein, adiaphragm overlying said Wall of the cup, a washer overlying'said diaphragm and having a protuberance deflecting the diaphragminto said depression'in the end Wall of the cup, and a springactingon said washer to seattheprotuberance thereof in the localized depressed portion of. the diaphragm, said washer being tlltableabout said protuberance' whereby the spring load of said'spring will be centered on said protuberance toact on the central portion of the cup for relieving the sleeve of any forces tending to tilt thesame.

2. A valve construction comprising a valve casing having a top bore at the upper end thereof, a coaxial intermediate bore, an annular valve seat between said top bore and said intermediate bore and a reduced diameter coaxial blind bore at the bottom of said intermediate bore, a spring casing superimposed on said valve casing, a flexible diaphragmbetween said spring casing and said valve casihgseparating the top bore of the valve casingfrom the springchamber/prm vided by the spring casing, a relief valve having an external surface slidably engaging the top bore of the valve casing together with a second external surface slidably engagingthe blind bore of the valve casing, said relief valve having an annular valve face intermediate said guide surfaces cooperating with said valve seat between the top bore and the intermediate bore, means defining a by-pass valve seat in said relief valve, a by-pass valve cooperating with said seat in the relief valve, a spring bottomed on said blind bore acting on the'by-pass valve to urge the same against the seat in the relief valve, a cup memher bdttome'd m the top of said relief valve hawin'g a central depressiontherein, a spring-urged 'memberiinthe'spring casing having a protuberance pressing the diaphragm into the centralvdepression of the 'cup'member, and anadjustable spring in said spring casing acting on said springurged -member to urge the relief valve towardthe seat between the 1 top bore and the intermediate bblel I V 3. n-valve construction adapted to relieve fluid trom' the discharge to the intake side of a pump and adapted to by-passnuid from the intake to the discharge. side of the pump which vcomprises a housing-having an inlet andan outlet, coaxial Ibores separated bya valve seat andcommunicah ing'respectively with the inletand outlet of said housing, an open-ended sleeve slidably mounted 'insaid bor'es having an annular valve face intermediate the ends thereof adapted to vengage said sea't said valve having-an internal-annular shoulder fo'rming a by-pass valve seat, a by-pass valve insaid sleeve "adapted to engage said seat, said sleeve'havingports connecting said bores with the interior thereof on opposite sides of said byz-pass valve, an inverted cup seated in the end of the sleeve remote from the by-pass valve and closing said endysaid cup having a depression in the cen-' tralportionof its end closing wall, and spring urged means seated in said depression to center spring loads on the sleeve.

4. A one piece oomblned relief valve and bypass valve seat which comprises an annular wall, upstanding legs extending from one face of said wall at spaced intervals from the periphery of said face, an annular flange surrounding said legs in spaced relation from said wall, said annular flange having-an external guide surface, a plurality of legs dependingfrom the opposite face ol 'said wallat spaced intervals intermediate the inner and outer peripheral edges of the wall, said depending legs having external guide surfaces at their extremities, said wall defining-a valve seat inside of said depending legs and a valve seating facesurrounding said depending legs, said upstanding legs having recesses in their end faces thereof bottomed" by supporting shoulders, and an inverted cup having the side wall thereof snugly seatedin saidrecesses and supported on said shoulders, said cup havlng-an-endwall closing one end of the-valve.

RUSSELL HUURTIS.

REFERENCES CITED 0 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,353,545 Caserta she July 11, 1944 

